Lovefool
by Ariannette
Summary: Set in Season 3 - Episode 'Resignation' Cuddy's having a bad day, and House is acting differently around her...


**Ari's Note: **This is a little ficlet that I thought of as I was watching Season 3's Episode 'Resignation'. I thought to myself, instead of 'Honey'- what could have happened between House and Cuddy? That would have been way more interesting, right? ...this ficlet is a filler before I completely immerse myself in 'The Letters'. It's been harder to stop thinking of YOLT- I already miss writing for that story :(. Anywhoo..I hope you guys enjoy this, please give me your thoughts! :) OH! BTW- This fic was written while I was listening to Lovefool by The Cardigans (you should listen to it :)).

* * *

><p><strong>Lovefool<strong>

It was one of those days where no matter what she wore, she felt insecure.

Cuddy didn't have anyone to show off for at work, at least consciously- however she did pride herself in always looking her best. It was something that had been with her since her first year at Michigan- looks mattered, even if there was no one to look good for.

But on that particular day, she'd gone through her entire closet, picking skirt after skirt, top after top- but nothing looked right all of a sudden.

Eventually she'd gone with a black knee length skirt, a black cap-sleeve low cut top, and black pointed Louboutin heels.

The difficulty didn't end with her outfit though, Cuddy couldn't get her hair to cooperate that day either. Even though she'd blow-dried it that morning, it was all frizzy and refused to stay in the wavy curls she kept trying to make. Nothing worked- and it was stressing her out.

And eventually, with time running out- she'd done a light coat of make-up before essentially giving up and leaving for PPTH.

But even as she drove to the hospital, she felt as though she were being pranked- when she had to stop by three construction sites that had blocked off all her usual routes to work.

By the time Cuddy finally got to work, it was 9am- she was an entire hour late. So late in fact, that House had actually beat her, as she saw him limping in to the hospital- only a few feet in front of her.

She sped up and got to the glass doors of the hospital, holding it open for him- but rushing away as soon as he got to the door.

"Why Dr Cuddy, you're running a bit late today, aren't you?"

She turned back for only a moment before making her way to the kiosk in the lobby, "You're a bit early yourself."

As House made it up to the kiosk, Cuddy felt him stand right next to her, on his side- facing her. She shot up a look at him with a huge in take of breath, and noticed as she set eyes on his face, that he was smiling widely-showing his infamous dimples while looking straight at her.

A smile that huge on Gregory House was not a good thing, and she could only imagine all of the snide comments festering in his head, ready to pop out.

"Just get it over with", she muttered, looking over the small pile of messages that had been left for her.

When he didn't say anything, she looked back up at him, "Well?"

"What over with?" he asked smugly.

Cuddy rolled her eyes, "I'm sure you have much to say about the way I look today."

"You mean ravishing?" he asked, and Cuddy snapped her head up at him- catching a wink right before he turned to he walk away.

She stood up straight and watched as he limped off toward the elevator, not being able to help notice that he walked with a new found pep in his step.

xxxoxxxo

Lisa Cuddy tried desperately hard not to let her head fill itself with questions as to what had possessed House to act so strangely. It was probably what he wanted anyway, she told herself. So obsessing over what he'd said to her was a waste of time, and exactly what he'd expect.

But telling herself that was no use. She ended up filling her head with every thought of how he had looked or acted as he'd stood next to her that morning, with that bizarre comment.

Around noon, she had finally gotten immersed in a budget report that she was preparing for the Hospital Board, when Foreman walked in with a frown.

"House is happy."

She looked at him for a moment and licked her lips before looking back down at her computer screen and adding some numbers she'd written down, "Your point?"

"That he's happy because I'm quitting…"

That actually _did_ explain everything, she thought to herself.

She took a deep breath and looked up at Foreman, "Your point being? Is there something medically relevant here? Or did you just come to tell me House hurt your feelings?"

Foreman snapped his head. Cuddy could tell that he was obviously a little taken aback by her bluntness. She sighed up at him, "Dr. Foreman, I'm sorry House isn't sad you're leaving, but unless there's some reason for you to believe that its a bad thing that House is happy- you can see your way out.…I have actual work to do."

xxxoxxxo

She was in line to pay for a salad, while frantically answering back emails to HR on her blackberry.

Cuddy had only been an hour late to work, but she felt as though a week's worth of work had piled up. There were about twenty emails from HR asking her to respond back about several complaints they'd had from Oncology, Peds, and the Surgical departments. At least for once there weren't any from House- she told herself with a tiny snort.

She was so completely immersed in her work, that she hadn't noticed the line in front of her had emptied and someone behind her cleared their throat, "I'd love to stare at your ass all afternoon, but after a certain time I get cranky if I haven't had my ice cream for lunch."

"I'm surprised that you're actually waiting to pay for it before you eat it", she said with a small smirk while walking ahead.

Behind her, House actually let out a chuckle- it made her smile, though he couldn't see that.

When Cuddy paid for her salad and began to walk away, she heard the distinct noise of cane behind her, and couldn't help at form a small smile that she bit away to remain composed.

"Do you forget I'm a cripple?" House asked behind her.

Cuddy formed an innocent look and turned to look at him, "Oh. I didn't know you were behind me."

"Well obviously- we're eating lunch together."

She frowned, "We are?"

He guffawed, "Its monday- we always eat lunch together on mondays."

"No…we don't."

House pretended to frown, "That would explain why you never sit with me at lunch…We could start eating lunch together?"

Cuddy scoffed with a tiny smirk and tapped her fingers on her phone, "What do you want?"

He smiled for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and walking away, "Nothing."

xxxoxxxo

_Next Day_

The following day was an improvement to the prior, and Cuddy felt different as she walked in on time to her hospital. There was something different in the air, maybe it was a bit crisper, and the fact that she'd put on her new perfume from Anthropologie had made her smile- as silly as that sounded.

But there was a buzz in the hospital that hadn't been there before too.

Her phone vibrated, as she got to the glass doors, and she was looking down at it as she read an email from Princeton General's Chief of Staff. She was so focused in the message about needing to borrow gurneys, that she hadn't been paying attention as she walked and abruptly ran into a body in front of her.

She looked up to apologize, only to be face to face with a very content looking House.

"Will you watch where you're going?" she mumbled feeling a strange array of butterflies erupt in her stomach. When she realized that, she reminded herself that she had missed breakfast that morning- and that was the cause of the butterflies- it totally was.

She took a step to pass him, but he moved in sync with her and smirked at her irritability, "Who said it wasn't on purpose?"

Cuddy dropped her shoulders and finally looked up at him again, "Cant you go act childish with someone else?"

"But it's not fun with anyone else."

She frowned, as he continued to block her, "I have work to go do."

House tried desperately not to smile- she could tell, but eventually gave up and shrugged his shoulders too, "Wanna go make out?"

Cuddy thought for a moment about what he'd just said and scrunched her eyes closed, wondering if it was a dream, "What?"

"We could go to my car? Or do it right here? There's always your office too- but I'll leave it up to you."

She furrowed her eyebrows and scoffed, "Sure let's just go make out in my office, why not?"

When she went to walk away from his absurdity, he finally moved aside and she shook her head as she made her way into the clinic and then her office.

Her phone started ringing as she set her purse down, and as she went to pick it up, a brown cane blocked her hand from the phone and pressed the ignore button.

Cuddy turned her stunned face up to look at House, shocked that he'd followed her into her office.

"What? You said we could make out in here."

She looked at him strangely, "We were both joking…right?"

House blinked a couple times and pulled his cane back, as if coming to his senses, "Right. Just wanted to see if you'd fall for it."

He turned and walked out.

xxxoxxxo

After having coffee with the Chief of Staff from Princeton General that morning, Cuddy had walked out to her car to get her cellphone charger, one that she was ninety-nine percent sure she'd had with her- only to find that it had been missing from her purse. As she rounded the corner to where she'd parked, House was sitting on the hood of her car.

She slowed down as she noticed that he was holding her charger in his hand, "What are you doing?"

"Well I had to find a way to get you alone."

Cuddy sighed, walking up to him, "You do know that if you try and kidnap me I can outrun you, right?"

House looked hurt for a moment, but recovered, pulling her in with his cane so that she was between his legs- it was a very peculiar scene if anyone was to show up at that moment.

But what struck her, was how ok she was with it. Her skin responded to the touch of his cane and the proximity of his body.

She swallowed, and she could tell he'd noticed, because there was a cocky grin to his face.

"What is up with you?" she asked with a bit of nervousness laced in her voice.

House stood up, so that he was directly in front of her, but didn't say anything at first, just lowered his face to hers without breaking eye contact and smiled softly, "I like you Lisa Cuddy."

Then his lips met hers.

Instantly her body went into convulsions of emotions she couldn't decipher. She knew it wasn't all bad, because she hadn't pulled away. His lips felt seemingly ok against hers, more than ok- it felt right, almost like it was the most natural thing in the world, and they'd been kissing for years.

When they pulled apart, House looked at her for a moment really quite happy, before he walked away.

xxxoxxxo

_Next Day_

She hadn't seen House the rest of the day before, and had gone home feeling what she could only describe as giddiness. He liked her? Where had that even come from?

But that wasn't what was worrying her- not his sudden crush on her, no. It was that she found herself mirroring those feelings- feelings she'd promised herself never to feel for House.

There was only one person that she could speak to about what had happened with House- only one person that could help her.

Wilson.

She didn't bother knocking, but instead just made her way into his office hoping not to interrupt a meeting with a patient and luckily he was alone.

He looked up at her strangely, "Have you been taking manner lessons from House?"

"That's actually what I came to talk to you about."

Wilson put a hand up, "Stop. I know what you're here to talk about."

Cuddy stood up straight and looked at him, "You do?"

He sighed and rested his back against his desk chair, "Yes. I admit- I was wrong to give him the antidepressants, but you could tell he was happy."

"SSRI's?" She asked slowly.

"Yes. That's what you were referring to, isn't it? Happy House? I had to come clean to Cameron because she was instantly able to tell. I figured she told you."

Cuddy swallowed, "Uh-yes. Yes it was."

Wilson sighed and shrugged his shoulders, "I know what you're going to say- but he's been so happy."

Cuddy opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't figure out what to say. So instead, she walked out without saying anything else.

And as she walked back into the hall, she was met face to face with House, who was sporting a look of complete dread to be in front of her.

His eyes got wide, "I'm gay."

Cuddy rolled her eyes with a scoff, pretending to joke, "Thank god. I thought you'd fallen in love with me."

House looked relieved as she said that and finally breathed out, "So- Wilson told you the diabolical thing he did?"

"Yep."

He swallowed, "So we're ok?"

"Completely."

He nodded once and walked away.

Afterwards, Cuddy stood there for a moment, as a pit of sadness filled her stomach.


End file.
